<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>vindicating the rights of women by enjoler</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29760219">vindicating the rights of women</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjoler/pseuds/enjoler'>enjoler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Café Musain, Canon Era, Discussion of Abortion, Doctor Combeferre, Doctor Joly, Drunk Grantaire, F/M, M/M, Medical Procedures, Revolution, Speeches, Trans Character, Trans Enjolras, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:47:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29760219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjoler/pseuds/enjoler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>At a meeting where Les Amis intend to discuss women's liberation, Bahorel learns that his mistress is pregnant, and Les Amis consider abortion, women's freedoms, and personal and political liberation.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bahorel/Bahorel's Laughing Mistress (Les Misérables), Combeferre/Enjolras (Les Misérables), Joly/Bossuet Laigle/Musichetta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>vindicating the rights of women</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What was the topic of tonight’s meeting supposed to be?” L’Aigle asked, filling his glass with wine. </p>
<p>“Women’s liberation, I believe. Enjolras is speaking on it at eight.” Joly consulted a pamphlet and tucked it back into his waistcoat.</p>
<p>“Why on earth’s that? Enjolras doesn’t care a jot about women. I don’t think he’s ever spoken to one.”</p>
<p>“He cares about them as citizens of the Republic who deserve rights and protections, just not as lovers.”</p>
<p>“Yes, my dear Eagle of Meaux, shock you though it might, it is possible to care about the welfare of women when you don’t want to sleep with them,” Grantaire smirked.</p>
<p>L’Aigle rolled his eyes. “We’re not very well attended tonight, are we? I think it’s just us nine original Amis.”</p>
<p>“Well, we could hardly expect poor Pontmercy to come. If Enjolras is indifferent to women, then Pontmercy is absolutely terrified of them, poor boy,” Joly said.</p>
<p>“But none of the other regulars have come.”</p>
<p>“And no doubt,” said Grantaire. “Most men would rather be liberating a woman from her corset on a Friday night than listening to how she ought to vote. Which is pointless anyway. I don’t vote. I’ll have no part in a bourgeois system like that.”</p>
<p>“Well, I suppose it’s still all well and good that it’s to be discussed, and Enjolras, I’m sure, has his reasons, but could we not have got an actual woman to say something about it? Surely it’s her we ought to take our lead from,” L’Aigle observed.</p>
<p>“We had an actual woman speaker,” Grantaire said. “But she dropped out. Her sister went into labour this afternoon.”</p>
<p>“Pity, that. I’m sure she’d have been interesting,” Joly said. “But a worthy cause, all the same.”</p>
<p>“Indeed, indeed. What specifically is meant by women’s liberation, though, I can never quite establish. Are many women in this day and age not liberated?” observed Grantaire. “Take your Musichetta, for example, she’s certainly-”</p>
<p>“Don’t finish that,” Joly said. “And don’t be facetious, you know perfectly well it means political and financial liberation. Until a woman can vote and own property she cannot enjoy the liberation we take for granted.”</p>
<p>“But social liberation too, surely?”</p>
<p>“Well, social liberation is not something we can legislate into being the way we can financial and political liberation.”</p>
<p>Grantaire began laying out dominoes. “Well, I suppose you have the right of it. Perhaps I shall wait until our glorious leader gives his speech to decide what the truth is.”</p>
<p>The door of the Musain’s back room swung open, and Grantaire looked up from his dominoes and grinned. </p>
<p>“Ah, it’s only Louison, gentlemen. Hello, my darling girl! Might you have a kiss for me this fine evening? Or at least another bottle of house red, on the house, if I might be so bold?”</p>
<p>“I’m in no mood for your games, Grantaire,” she said, her face set and pale. “Is Bahorel here tonight?”</p>
<p>“Only directly behind you. Why do you seek him?”</p>
<p>Louison spun around and pulled Bahorel up by the sleeve of his jacket. “It’s Lisette. She’s outside, she wants you. She’s very upset.”</p>
<p>“My laughing mistress, upset? Whatever next?” he grinned.</p>
<p>“Oh, Bahorel, you naughty boy, whatever have you been up to?” Grantaire cackled. Bahorel rolled his eyes cheerfully as Louison pulled him from the room.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Look, Lisette, I don’t know what I’ve done,” Bahorel said gaily as he swept down the stairs, “But surely-”</p>
<p>He stopped short when he saw Lisette, her face tearstained, an old scarf over her silky blonde hair. “My dear girl, what on earth’s the matter?”</p>
<p>Lisette gave a strangled whimper and threw herself into Bahorel’s arms, hiding her face in his chest. Her shoulders were trembling with sobs and he patted her back nervously, unused to such emotion.</p>
<p>“I’m here, it’ll be fine,” he murmured. “I’m sure it’s something that can be fixed.”</p>
<p>Lisette’s sobs grew louder and Bahorel pushed her back gently. “What is it?”</p>
<p>“I- I-” She hid her face in her hands, then said in a very small voice, “I’m pregnant.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I know I am. I missed my blood last month, thought it was just some accident, you know, hadn’t eaten properly or something, but it’s happened again this month.”</p>
<p>“Oh, lord.” Bahorel turned away, dragging his fists through his hair. “You’re sure it’s mine?”</p>
<p>“Yes, I’m sure it’s yours, you scoundrel! Just because you’re unfaithful every bloody week-”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, alright, I’m sorry. It’s mine. Jesus, what are we going to do?”</p>
<p>“Well, we’re not getting married.”</p>
<p>“I quite realise that, my dear. But surely you can’t raise it alone?”</p>
<p>“I can’t raise it at all! I’ve my work to think of, my reputation-”</p>
<p>“What are we to do? Give it up? Get rid of it?”</p>
<p>Lisette suddenly fell silent, looking at him intently. “Could we?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Is that what you’d want?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve no idea what I want, except for this not to have happened.” A tear rolled down her cheek, and Bahorel wiped it away gently with a large hand.</p>
<p>“I know, I know. I’m sorry. But whatever happens, it will be fine. I’m here.”</p>
<p>“It’s not fine,” she mumbled, but pressed herself against him again, and he kissed the top of her head.</p>
<p>“Look, go home, go to bed, sleep on it. You’ll feel better in the morning, and I shall do some thinking, and if you do want to get rid of it, which I understand, then we shall work out what to do. Alright?”</p>
<p>She nodded weakly, and he kissed her lightly, then she turned and left the Musain.</p>
<p>Bahorel leant against the wall, his face in his hands.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>When Bahorel returned ten minutes later he was no longer laughing.</p>
<p>Joly glanced over at him as he entered and his brow knitted. “Bahorel, whatever’s the matter? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”</p>
<p>“Some wine, and say what’s going on.” Grantaire proffered the bottle and Bahorel sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair. “What’s happened? Did she throw you over for a duke? Has she found out about the little redhead from the hat shop?”</p>
<p>“Stop it.”</p>
<p>“It is the duke! Well, Bahorel, even Hades must let his Persephone go once in a while.”</p>
<p>“Grantaire, stop it.”</p>
<p>“Oh, good grief, is it terribly serious?” L’Aigle asked. </p>
<p>“She’s pregnant.”</p>
<p>Grantaire’s eyes widened and L’Aigle shook his head slowly.</p>
<p>“You’ve really done it this time.”</p>
<p>“When did she find out? How far along is she?” Joly asked. </p>
<p>“Two months? I don’t know, however long it takes a woman to realise. I- my God, I don’t know what to do. She was so upset. She’s terrified, she might lose her job, her parents would kill her-”</p>
<p>“Forgive me for putting this so bluntly, dear boy, especially when you’ve only just heard, but can it not be...got rid of?” Grantaire asked delicately. “It’s really a very simple matter, there’s many girls who’ve done it-”</p>
<p>“I can’t just decide that’s what we’ll do. It’s her choice as much as mine. I’ve told her to think on it.”</p>
<p>“You’re hardly going to marry her and raise it, are you?”</p>
<p>“No, of course not.”</p>
<p>“And does dear Lisette wish, at her grand age of twenty-one, to become Madame Bahorel for the remainder of her days?”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Then what other option is there?”</p>
<p>“How could it be done? Joly, you’re a doctor, you must-”</p>
<p>“No,” Joly said with such force that even L’Aigle looked startled. “Absolutely not. First of all, I’m not a doctor, I’m only a student, and it’s an unbelievably dangerous procedure, it could kill her as soon as help her any. And even if I knew how to do it, I wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t direct you to someone who did, because that, Bahorel, would be murder.”</p>
<p>“Come now, Joly, the child is not yet living,” Grantaire interjected. “How can it be murdered?”</p>
<p>“To deprive a living thing of life is murder and I will not partake in that, or enable it,” Joly said tightly. “How could you think that way about your own child? This is your fault, you’ve got her into a mess and you must do your duty by them both, whatever that entails, but you cannot just commit a murder because- because the child might be inconvenient!”</p>
<p>Grantaire rubbed Bahorel’s shoulder. “Now, now, Joly, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. At the crux of it, it’s Lisette’s decision, not any of ours, and if that’s what she chooses we can’t condemn her. It’s a much harder situation than any such troubles we might have, harder, I dare say, than what poor Bahorel’s tackling now, and I accept that it’s hardly a pleasant thought, but we can’t go making accusations of murder.”</p>
<p>“It’s what the Church says and I believe the Church to be right.”</p>
<p>“Oh, of course,” said Jehan’s silky voice from across the room, and he smiled sardonically through a cloud of opium smoke. “Because you always follow the guidance of the Church, don’t you, Joly? That’s why you’re in a good honest monogamous marriage without any fornication and certainly no sodomy, but- oh, forgive me, no, you’re a libertine and a bugger like the rest of us, so kindly shut your mouth about the Church, do you understand?”</p>
<p>Joly rubbed his nose with the knob of his cane. “Look, I’m hardly a deeply religious man, but the Church is the highest moral authority in the land and-”</p>
<p>“You don’t have a problem with the Church’s moral authority when they’re stealing land from peasants, or when the Jesuits are fiddling little boys at their boarding schools, but it’s Lisette’s potential to exercise control over her own body that sends you running to the skirts of Rome?” Jehan took a sip of absinthe, his expression cool. </p>
<p>“But still, Jehan, I’m shocked you don’t agree with me. What about your Romantic conception of the freedom and innocence of the child?”</p>
<p>“The child, dear Joly. Not the baby, or the foetus, or the unfortunate bundle of Bahorel’s cells which at present exists inside Lisette. I am concerned with the living, breathing, active child, and that it should have a good and loving life. Any child born in this situation will lack that, so I believe the best course of action is to save it the misery.”</p>
<p>“But that’s dreadful, surely! Not to mention an insult to Bahorel.”</p>
<p>“Well, Prouvaire’s right to say I don’t want a child,” Bahorel said. “I can’t even commit myself to attending my lectures.”</p>
<p>“Come now, Joly, you’re a man of reason, of science,” Grantaire said amiably. “If Bahorel wants the child got rid of, then he may do so. Do you not consider it to make logical sense?”</p>
<p>Joly flushed to the roots of his hair. “Look, alright, perhaps the Church is no justification for it, but I don’t believe it to be right. It’s not the poor child’s fault. It didn’t ask to be born.” </p>
<p>“So don’t have it born, if it didn’t ask for it,” Jehan said. “And thus the problem is solved.”</p>
<p>L’Aigle looked to be suppressing a giggle.</p>
<p>Bahorel was still pale and trembling. “I just- how do you prevent it happening in the first place? You two have your mistress, surely that’s something you think about.”</p>
<p>“Musichetta, ah-” Joly cleared his throat. “Takes care of that herself.”</p>
<p>“Helpful.”</p>
<p>“Bahorel, she’s already with child, this information would come too late even if Joly and Bossuet had it,” Grantaire said fairly. </p>
<p>“I just- surely I can’t marry her. Perhaps I could, I don’t know, support her through her term then give the child up?”</p>
<p>“What, give it up to live a life of destitution in the city orphanage?” Feuilly asked, draining his glass and reaching for a puff of Jehan’s pipe. “I say from experience that I think not. Keep it or don’t have it, that’s my two sous. You’re rich enough to support it and rich enough to pay for it to be got rid of, so choose one of those two options.”</p>
<p>Courfeyrac shifted awkwardly beside him. “I don’t know, I suppose you have the right of it, and of course, Bahorel, you must do as you see fit, but I can’t help sharing some of Joly’s reservations.”</p>
<p>Joly nodded triumphantly. </p>
<p>“It’s no picnic, a procedure like that, and it can be ever so dangerous for a woman. Have the abortion and it could be Lisette’s chances of a child over forever if it goes wrong.” </p>
<p>Bahorel looked queasy. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes, it can be dreadful if it goes wrong. I knew a girl once, beautiful girl she was, she was a dancer and she was with child, didn’t know who the father was, poor girl, couldn’t raise it, so she went to some backstreet doctor and the next thing you know she’s bleeding out on-”</p>
<p>“Alright, that’s enough, Courfeyrac,” said L’Aigle. “There’s no saying it would go wrong. That would be a very drastic occurrence, surely.”</p>
<p>“And if Lisette chooses to have an abortion, it will not go wrong, because I will perform it.” The back room fell silent and Combeferre looked solemnly over his glasses at Bahorel from his corner table. “I will not offer opinions on this matter, because I do not believe it to be helpful, but if the decision you and Lisette come to is to get rid of the child, I will perform it. I am trained in the procedure and unlike Joly I ascribe no moral value to it. If it needs to be done safely and with a minimum of interruption to Lisette’s life, it can be done, and I will do it. You have my word on that.”</p>
<p>There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and Bahorel blinked several times. “Combeferre, I-”</p>
<p>“I am not asking you to decide now, or to decide without consulting your mistress. The option is simply here should you require it. I am available.”</p>
<p>Bahorel nodded dumbly.</p>
<p>With a false note of heartiness, Courfeyrac said, “Well, now we’ve all had our say, certainly we cannot discuss something of this import without a word from our great leader as well. Enjolras, what say you to the matter?”</p>
<p>Slowly and deliberately, Enjolras closed the book he was skimming over and stood up. “Suppose,” he said thoughtfully, “That we consider Lisette as a model for the general liberation and emancipation of the female sex.”</p>
<p>“Oh, come now-” Joly began, but Grantaire clipped him round the ear and he fell silent.</p>
<p>“Lisette is, I believe, twenty-one years old. She originates from the Midi, as many of us do, and came to Paris independent of her parents, of her own volition. She trained as a seamstress, a skilled and worthy job, and now lives comfortably on her own income in an apartment she has chosen. She enjoys the attractions our fair city provides, avails herself of dances and society, respects the cultural pursuits of the theatre and opera. She has the liberty to choose her own friends, her own lovers - in short, she is the very model of what we should hope an emancipated woman to be.”</p>
<p>Enjolras began to move slowly around the room.</p>
<p>“Yet now, she is faced with the one problem which liberated women such as herself fear most: the prospect of a child for which she is both unequipped and unwilling to care. Let us examine the options laid out to Lisette, as a microcosm of what a woman in her situation may do. First, she may marry Bahorel in order to preserve her social standing, and raise the child so. Bahorel, I am correct to say you love your mistress, yes? You enjoy her company, pass pleasant times together?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Am I correct also to say that you mutually recognise that this is not a love either of you intend to carry to your graves?”</p>
<p>“Yes, this is true.”</p>
<p>“Then to marry would condemn you both to frustration and unhappiness. It would place great financial constraint upon both of you: Lisette would be unable to continue working at the job she excels in, and Bahorel would have to leave the law school and work to provide for his family. Neither of you own property: the child would be born into insecurity and poverty, and suffer as so many children in Paris must, unable to enjoy the life which, should he one day choose to have children, Bahorel would wish to provide. The match would bring shame and division upon both families, and the child would grow up lacking the support of an extended family network. We can thus agree this is an impossible option.”</p>
<p>Bahorel nodded slowly.</p>
<p>“Let us turn, then, to a second option, one preferred, perhaps, by Joly and Courfeyrac, who have moral concerns which we must discuss surrounding aborting the child. Lisette could carry the child and give it up, presumably with Bahorel’s support. The pregnancy would be a long and difficult ordeal, one which, again, would require her to give up work, probably permanently, and place significant strain upon her health, happiness and finances. The physical difficulty of giving birth would not be rewarded by the joy of having a child; instead, she would either allow it to be adopted, or give it up to the city orphanage, which as Feuilly rightly notes, is an option nobody would choose for their child. This would be financially stressful for both Lisette and Bahorel, and I doubt it would have positive consequences for their relationship. The moral implications of condemning the child to a life of such unhappiness, and of the difficulty this would cause Lisette, makes this option another undesirable one.”</p>
<p>He settled on the edge of the table in the centre of the room.</p>
<p>“And now, we have our final option to consider. Lisette could abort the child. This is a complex decision, not one to be undertaken lightly. It can be painful, dangerous and costly. However, if Lisette chose to do so, she would avoid the dangers Courfeyrac mentioned, because Combeferre has already expressed his willingness to perform the procedure if necessary. These problems are thus avoided. What, then, of the moral dimension of an abortion? We must weigh, gentlemen, these issues against the moral issues of bringing a child into a situation unequipped to support it. As Grantaire rightly notes, the child is not yet living. It is functionally not the same to abort it as it is to kill a living child.”</p>
<p> Grantaire flushed a little, and Enjolras nodded at him.</p>
<p>“It is not a savoury option, that we can all appreciate, but it is one with a smaller net amount of harm than bringing the child into this world, into destitution and pain. In the republic we wish to create, all children will be wanted and cared for, but the conditions of our current society make this impossible. To inflict the misery that would come with the birth upon the child, upon Lisette, and upon Bahorel, is unthinkable.”</p>
<p>He paused, casting his gaze around the room. </p>
<p>“Let us return, then, to the problem of women’s emancipation. An unintended pregnancy can, in one fell swoop, destroy all the liberation a woman is currently unable to achieve, and to force her to go through with it if she does not wish to have a child is to use her female anatomy to force her into a place of oppression and struggle, severely limiting the liberation she is able to achieve. Women are our comrades and fellow citizens, and if they are not liberated our society as a whole is not liberated. If control over their reproductive functions is not their own, then they cannot advance and enjoy the benefits of a free society. If Lisette, as our model emancipated woman, is to enjoy her life as she currently lives it, she must be free of these shackles, as must all women. This is an inalienable right, and one which is closely tied to our wider aim of emancipation for the female sex. Women must not be trapped by their own bodies.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Combeferre squeezed Enjolras’ arm gently as he unlocked the door to their rooms. “You spoke well tonight. You always do, but tonight’s was particularly powerful.”</p>
<p>Enjolras inclined his head in thanks and hung his coat up. “It is a subject of great importance, and one too little considered.”</p>
<p>“Indeed.”</p>
<p>“And though our female speaker dropped out, I believe I gave a good enough account of the topic.” He paused, then moved to sit down on the sofa. “I am not a woman, as you well know, but I am...acquainted enough, shall we say, with the problems presented by a woman’s anatomy to give a good account of the topic.”</p>
<p>Combeferre nodded slowly, sitting beside him. Enjolras rested his head on his shoulder. “It was a courageous choice.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps not courage so much as necessity. They are problems which I wish I did not understand, and would do much to relieve myself from. They do not - should not - belong to me.”</p>
<p>“No, and I am sorry for it. I would not wish you to be any other than you are, save for the changes which you wish yourself.”</p>
<p>Enjolras shifted a little closer to Combeferre in silent assent, and they sat for a moment in contemplation.</p>
<p>“I did not know abortion was something that was taught,” Enjolras said.</p>
<p>“It is not, as such. I know what to do from a time where a child had died in the womb, and it had to be removed. I do not suppose the medical school expects us to apply such emergency training to help a friend in an inconvenient situation.”</p>
<p>Enjolras half-smiled. “I was intrigued to hear the opinions of our friends on such a topic,” he said. “Grantaire was surprisingly pragmatic.”</p>
<p>“Grantaire, no doubt, has been responsible for several abortions.”</p>
<p>“We think too little of him, perhaps. He understood what he said. Feuilly, too, drew our discussion back to the importance of the matter.”</p>
<p>“I must confess I was surprised at Joly. I thought him able to see more logically than that. Such a reactionary stance does not become him.”</p>
<p>“I understand, but again I am inclined to sympathy. I think Joly’s position came not from a desire to prevent it from happening, but too great an understanding of his own situation.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“Joly loves his mistress like life itself, intends to spend his life with her, and I sincerely believe that if Musichetta fell pregnant Joly would as likely as not be delighted. He cannot comprehend that Bahorel would not wish to be a father if given the opportunity, and because the thought of his own mistress getting rid of a child is abhorrent to him, he disliked the thought of it being Bahorel’s preferred option.”</p>
<p>Combeferre nodded. “Perhaps so.”</p>
<p>There was silence again, then Enjolras said, very softly, “It is realisations like this that make it so difficult to realise that we may have to give our lives in service of the Republic, and though if that were the case it would be our proper time to die, it is sad to know we could have lived longer. There is so much life still to live.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>